Timeless poems of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam were recited at a programme at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Wednesday.
Recitation troupe Swarachitra Abritti Kendra organised the event marking Rabindranath Tagore’s 75th death anniversary and Kazi Nazrul Islam’s 40th death anniversary, which fell within the space of three weeks in August.
There were solo performances by around 20 recitation artistes who presented about 24 poems.
Shoma Khan recited Nazrul’s Hey Sarboshaktiman, a poem expressing the poet’s love and devotion to the omnipotent, while Sajeda Banu presented Tagore’s devotional poem Ekti Namoshkare.
Naim Ahmed and Sonia Akter respectively presented two poems by Nazrul – Ek Britte Duti Kushum and Nari.
However, the show’s main attraction was a performance by the celebrated recitation artiste Mahidul Islam, also chief of Swarachitra Abritti Kendra.
Coming on stage as the evening’s last performer, Mahidul presented four poems – three by Tagore and one by Nazrul.
Among Tagore’s poems were Paye Cholar Path, Aji Jhar-er Rate and Porichoy, while the sole Nazrul piece was Bidrohi, the revolutionary poem that shot Nazrul to fame after it was published in 1922.
The audience was mesmerised by the variety of contents in the poems of the two poets as well as the way they were presented by the artistes of the organisation.
Talking about the reason behind his troupe’s organising the event, Mahidul Islam said they always try to pay respects to great poets by dedicating shows to them.